The invention relates generally to computer executable workflow management and control systems and more particularly to computer system executable methods for controlling access to, or processing of, a work item in a database of workflow work items stored by the computer system.
As is known in the art, members of an organization having an organizational structure are provided work items for execution from a database of unexecuted work items. These work items represent tasks such as filling out documents, returning telephone calls to potential or existing customers, initiating transactions, or similar duties. Work items may arrive at the database from outside the organization or from inside the organization or both. For example, if the organization provides financial services, the work items may relate to client account maintenance, buy and sell orders, internal management directives, and the like.
Efficiency gains can be accomplished by implementing a workflow management system that automates a process for distributing the work items to the members of the organization (i.e., operators). The work items are stored in a database. Associated with the work items is definitional data. The definitional data includes a plurality of definitional data items. Each definitional data item includes, for example: information about steps (i.e., nodes) in a process for manipulating the work item; information about a characteristic of a list (i.e., a queue associated with a node) of work items appropriate for execution in connection with a node; information about a rule specifying a protocol for executing the work item, such as a display characteristic for the work item; or information about a characteristic of the operator, or operators, who may work on the work item. In general, a node typically represents a single task in a work environment; for example, the single task may be "submitting new account applications." More particularly, a node represents a unit step of work specified in one or more processes; for example, a process for handling new account applications may have a node representing a unit step being "new account application approval." Each node may be used in more than one process and may be associated with a department having responsibility for the single task or unit step of work.
In the workflow management system, each member of the organization (i.e., each operator) is situated at a computer station, such as a personal computer. The computer stations are connected to a computer system running a workflow application program. The operator requests a work item from the database. After a work item is assigned, processed, displayed in accordance with the definitional data, and then completed by the operator, a new work item is provided from the database to the computer station in response to another request from the computer station.
Some organizations are structured into separate sub-organizations such as departments or divisions or separate business units, with each such sub-organization requiring some control over access to and processing of the sub-organization's work items. For example, the sub-organizations may require different sets of rules governing the flow of work items but may also need to share work items. If the sub-organizations use separate databases to control access and processing, and maintain separate sets of rules, the work items may be shared by making and distributing copies of the work items. In such cases, it is necessary to keep track of the copies and also to ensure cross-database consistency of definitional data concerning the shared work items.
One proposed system allows a single database to be used to store the work items of different sub-organizations. In the proposed system, each sub-organization maintains general access rules unrelated to the specific type of business activity performed by the sub-organization. Further, with the proposed system the access rules maintained by each sub-organization are provided specifically to prevent access by the sub-organization to work items not pertaining to the sub-organization. A change in the structure of the organization or one of the sub-organizations typically requires changes to each sub-organization's access rules.